


Don't let the bastards get you down (don't let the assholes wear you out)

by harryisqueen



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Insecurity, Sad Eleven (Stranger Things)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 07:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harryisqueen/pseuds/harryisqueen
Summary: Eleven's first experience at Hawkins is not quite as exciting and fun as she imagined.





	Don't let the bastards get you down (don't let the assholes wear you out)

Eleven was finally able to begin school when she was going into her freshman year. To say she was excited would have been very much an understatement. She was practically doing laps around her and hoppers new house. Bouncing from her room and back to the bathroom to adjust her outfit or fix her unruly curly hair.  
  
She and Hopper had struggled with her hair that morning for an hour and a half. Many tears were involved and eventually, Hopper had tried just forcing her tight ringlets into a bun on the back of her head. That did not work (go figure).  
  
Eventually, the two of them were able to push back the front of her hair with a large headband (that was also clipped down with barrettes) and her hair fell down on her back. It was not the best thing they could have done with it but it was the best Hopper could do. Hopper also had tried his attempt at taming the frizzy wild curls in the back (and had failed). So instead of trying to find something to tame her curls he just reassured El she looked nice.  
  
Of course, the hair was not the most of their troubles. El through a huge fit over the outfit Hopper had picked out for her.

“It looks like a boy outfit! All the other girls will look better than me!” El argued.

All hopper could do was sigh in frustration then go rooting through a box Wheeler’s older sister had given to El. He finally pulled out a pair of jeans and a grey sweater to go with it. El seemed much more satisfied with this outfit (much to Hopper’s relief)  
  
El was finally dressed, ready & eating her breakfast 5 minutes before they had to leave. Crap.  
  
“Kid, you need to hurry if you want to make it to school on time.” Hopper urged.  
  
El was wolfing down the two eggos that Hopper had presented for her. After a few more moments of tapping his foot and looking at his watch, El finally finished with no time to spare. Literally.

“I’m ready to go now,” El mumbled through a large mouthful of waffles.

“Alright then let’s go,” Hopper grumbled ushering El out the door.

On the ride to Hawkins high El was very excited. Hopper could tell by the way she was bouncing up and down in the passenger seat. Her excitement brought a small smile to his face. She would finally be able to have a shot at a normal life.

 

They pulled up to the school just in time. Her friends were sitting by the bike rack talking amongst themselves. Hopper watched as El got out of the car and the Wheeler boys whole face lit up upon seeing her.

The two embraced in a hug then El began conversing with the others. Hopper sighed putting the car into drive and pulling out of the school parking lot. He really hoped El’s first day would go at least halfway decent and that she would not use her powers.

Mike led El to her first class. Unfortunately, the two only had 2 classes together. Physical and Algebra I. El was still excited to have a few classes with mike. The first class she had was History. Modern world studies.  


“It’s kinda like the majority of history that’s happened in the last like 100 years.” Mike had explained to her.

El was excited for Modern world studies. History was one of her favourite subjects (right up there with math)  
  
History class had gone well. El had learned about the scientific revolution, which she found very intriguing. As promised Mike was waiting right outside of her history class to show her where the gym was. Her next class was PE. The class she was least looking forward to.  
  
It started out terrible. First of all, Mike did not have this class with her nor did any of the boys or even Max. The gym teacher had told them all they were playing Dodgeball. At least she knew what kickball was. Lucas had taught her how to play. He said she needed to know some sport too. She remembered hating dodgeball in their lessons.  
  
Then came the time to choose times. El had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. She was the last to be picked.

“Ugh oh my gosh why do we have to have her.” One of the team captains Jennifer huffed.

The gym teacher shot Jennifer a harsh glare “Jennifer Jane is new and we have to treat her nicely and make her feel welcome. Drop the attitude and be nice.”

El was grateful to Mr Jones the gym teacher being nice and sticking up for her, however, her cheeks still burned from humiliation at the confrontation.

Throughout the entire game, El sucked. Flat out sucked. She felt bad for dragging her team how but when Jennifer had asked the teacher if El could just sit on the bench he had declined saying “Every student needs to participate. Be nice Jennifer.”

El tried her best to send the girls apologetic looks but none of them would even look at her. She felt ashamed. She hadn’t done “good” or even halfway good. Gym class finally ended after what felt like an entire eternity to El.

 

Jennifer and a few of her friends who had also been on the same team as El approached her after Gym.

“Hey, Jane.” The girl to the right of Jennifer said.

“Shut up Tiffany I said let me do the talking.” Jennifer hissed out to Tiffany.

“Anyways” Jennifer continued a smirk crossing her features. “I just wanted to let you know that I never want you on my team again. My team has never lost kickball and your freaky ass comes in here and ruins my streak.”

“I-I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to make us lose,” El said.

“O-oh you’re sorry. Sorry is not going to fix my ruined streak you freak. I mean seriously what is your deal you barely talk at all and what’s up with your hair?”

Jennifer reached her hand out and gave El’s tightly spun girls a harsh jerk. El winced at the shooting pain that surged through her head at the tug.

“Not to mention you’re short. Like really short and not the good kind of short the kind of short where your stomach scrunches in on itself. No boy is ever going to want that.” Jennifer said laughing towards the end.

El’s eyes welled with tears as Jennifer and the other four marched proudly out of the bathroom. El had never really thought about her height and her stomach. What if she was too short and Mike didn’t like it. What if her stomach did scrunch in on itself? El was not entirely sure what Jennifer had meant by that but she knew it could not mean anything good.

El hastily pulled her grey sweater and jeans over her gym shorts and a tank top. She grabbed her backpack and quickly rushed out of the restroom. Thank God PE was her last subject. El hoped Hopper was already here and she could leave. El ran outside and stood by the drop-off/ pick up area her eyes quickly surveying the long line of cars before finally finding his police car a little way down.

El began speed walking towards the car as quickly as her legs could carry her. She reached the car in just around a minute. El was huffing and panting slightly from her brisk walk to the car. She slammed the passenger door and threw her backpack in the back seat.

El felt hoppers eyes on her as he slowly inched along in the line to try to get out.

 “What’s wrong with you kid?” Hopper asked.

El just grunted in response and stared straight ahead.

“Alright, then how was school?” Hopper asked.

“Fine,” El said.

“Alright then if you don’t wanna talk about school that’s fine,” Hopper said reassuringly. “We’re gonna go to Benny’s for dinner if that’s alright. I thought maybe you might want to invite your little friends but you rushed out here so quick I didn’t get the chance to ask you if you wanted to.

“It’s fine I don’t care,” El grumbled still feeling upset about her encounter in the locker room.

“Alright, El what the hells wrong and I don’t wanna hear nothing because you and I both know somethings wrong,” Hopper demanded.

“Nothing it was just some girls at school they said some things,” El said trailing off.

She kicked her feet up on the dashboard and turned her head to stare out the window.

Hopper leaned over knocking her feet off the dashboard “And what exactly did these girls say to you?”

El defiantly put her feet right back up on the dashboard “Am I too short?”

Hopper’s eyes flashed to her face he sighed and once again leaned over to knock her feet off the dashboard.

“First of all quit putting your damn feet up there, it’s not safe. Second of all no you’re not too short did someone say you were.” Hopper asked slamming on his breaks for a stop sign at the last minute.

“We played dodgeball during Gym and I was really bad. Afterwards, some girls told me in the locker room I was bad and that I was too short and not the good kind like the kind where your stomach scrunches up or something and that boys don’t like that.” El said.

Hopper’s eyes left the road for a split second to glance at El’s face. He could tell in her face these comments these kids had made had really hurt her feelings. Hopper had forgotten how mean kids could be.

“Listen kid you’re not too short and especially not the bad kind. And I think you’re pretty set with that Wheeler kid. I don’t think he would care if you grew a moustache and gained 500 pounds” Hopper said finally pulling into Benny’s.

El huffed “You don’t get it. All the other girls are tall. I’m short. The ones who are short are the good kind of short where their stomach doesn’t scrunch up. All the other girls have long straight hair. I have this.” She said gesturing to her wild messy curls in exasperation.

Hopper let out a sigh. He was not good at making people feel better but he was about to give it his best shot.

“Listen El it doesn’t matter if you’re tall or short or if your hair is long or if its short. Kids are always gonna find something to critique about you something they think is wrong with you. The thing is being pretty or whatever the hell you wanna call it is perception. None of it has to do with what you actually look like. And for the record you’re not too short, your stomach doesn’t scrunch up whatever that means and your hair is just fine.” Hopper said finally finishing her tangent.

He looked over to where El was still slumped down in her seat. She seemed to still be pouting but he could tell she was turning over his words in her mind.

“Alright, kid are we gonna go in here and eat something or are we gonna sit in the car and brood for a couple more hours?” Hopper asked trying to get a smile out of her.

 

El glanced at him from her peripheral vision a small smile finally gracing her face.

“Yeah let’s go in,” El said.

Hopper was about to open up his door to walk in when he felt two little arms wrap themselves around him. Hopper sighed and turned around to return the hug. He pulled away after a few moments she was smiling at him.

“Thanks for making me feel better Hop.” She said her mood obviously lifted.

“Any time kid,” Hopper said cracking a small smile.

The two of them climbed out of the SUV and made their way into Benny’s ready for a wonderful dinner of non-frozen waffles and fries.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?
> 
> follow me on tumblr! harryisqu33n.tumblr.com


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